There is strong evidence that cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) is important in carcinogenesis and that inhibition of COX-2 protects against tumor formation. Moreover, COX-2 is known to be associated with inflammatory responses incident to a number of disorders, and major pharmaceutical companies are actively involved in the development of selective COX-2 inhibitors to treat inflammation.
There is also strong evidence that matrix metalloproteinases are associated with carcinogenesis and inflammation and are involved in tumor metastasis. The term "matrix metalloproteinase" is referred to hereinafter as "MMP".
One of the limitations of drug discovery is the time and expense involved in identifying candidate compounds. There is, at present, no rapid and easy method for identifying sources of novel anti-cancer compounds and/or anti-inflammatory compounds.